1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lining for a metallurgical container, comprising a series of removable plates of heat-insulating material, designed to be applied to the inside of the metallurgical container against the lateral walls and the bottom of the latter.
The invention relates also to a metallurgical container, especially a tundish comprising such a heat insulating lining.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that such heat insulating plates enable the permanent refractory brick lining of a casting tundish or of a casting ladle, to be protected against wear caused by the liquid metal which is poured into such metallurgical containers.
In addition, these heat-insulating plates ensure effective thermal insulation of the walls of the metallic container, avoiding in particular the risks of solidification of the metal against these walls especially at the beginning of casting. Moreover, due to these heat-insulating plates, the long and expensive preheating of these metallurgical containers before the start of casting, is avoided. On the other hand, these plates, taking into account their removable character, considerably simplify the cleaning of metallurgical containers at the end of casting.
These heat-insulating plates are molded in parallelepipedic molds from a pasty mixture comprising refractory particles (silica, magnesia, alumina and the like), vegetable, animal, mineral, natural or synthetic fibers and an organic binder (for example phenolic resin) or inorganic binder (for example refractory cement).
On the positioning of these heat insulating plates against the walls of the metallurgical container, at least certain of them must be cut up to permit their adaptation to the shape of the metallurgical container. These plates must then be fixed to the walls of the metallurgical container with fastening means such as nails, hooks, studs or the like. Morevoer, the interstices comprised between the adjacent edges of juxtaposed plates must be joined, for example by refractory cement in order to avoid the liquid metal reaching the sub-adjacent permanent lining.
All these operations of assembly, fixing and joining plates are long and hence expensive.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks, by providing a lining composed of heat-insulating removable plates whose application is particularly convenient and economical.
It is another object of the invention to avoid in particular the fastening of the plates to the walls of the metallurgical container.
It is a further object of the invention to eliminate to a large extent the delicate joining of the adjacent edges of the plates.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows.